in miami. tonight, from miami, the front runners face off in a final round of the first 2020 presidential debate, biden versus sanders as ten more democrats take our stage biden out to protect his lead in the polls. sanders looking to gain ground on the former vp and rising stars kamala harris and pete buttigieg hoping to steal their thunder. who will stand out from the pack after the fireworks in round one? >> i think that you should do your homework on the issue if you did your homework on the issue, you would know -- >> new demands to hold the trump administration in contempt over filthy conditions inside child migrant facilities we were allowed inside one of them tonight we go across the border, desperate migrants waiting

months in limbo. before their asylum cases are heard. a plane skidding off the runway, slamming into a building and bursting into a ball of flames, a passenger on board capturing the flight's terrifying final moments and new twists in the disappearance of a college student. police questioning a person of interest and tonight the piece of evidence they are still looking for after searching his home >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with you lester holt reporting from miami, the site of the first democratic debate good evening, once again from the r center here in miami where we're counting down to tonight's round two of the democratic presidential debate the heat generated on this stage in last night's first round is still being felt after the first ten candidates went at it hard,

revealing some sharp policy differences. tonight, it may well be policy and age that draw the biggest distinction as ten more contenders including some of the biggest names in the race, biden, sanders, harris, and buttigieg are about to face off. that's where we start with hallie jackson >> reporter: round two tonight with the primaries front runners facing off, joe biden and bernie sanders. >> there's not really much time. it's like a lightning round. >> reporter: both respect opposite polls of the party, biden more moderate, sanders more progressive as he spent his morning at a detention center south of miami >> something i will end as president to have private corporations running jails and deispl over generational change biden or sanders could be the oldest to take office, pete buttigieg the youngest he and kamala harris arguing the time for a fresh face is now >> let's start the next chapter. let's turn the page.

>> reporter: but a break out moment could belong to someone else like kristen gillibrand >> do you think tonight will be the same? >> probably not. i think there will be differences people want to talk about. >> reporter: those differences on display on night moment with this moment. >> who here would abolish private health insurance for a government run plan, just a show of hands >> elizabeth warren defending her support for medicare for all. >> there are a lot of politicians that say we can't do it, have a lot of political reasons for this they're just telling you they won't fight for it >> i am concerned about kicking off of america off their health insurance is four years which is exactly what this says.

>> reporter: several candidates switching to spanish including beto o'rourke and julian castro. >> i helped introduce legislation that would ensure we don't criminalize those who are seeking asylum >> i'm talking about everything else >> as for the man they're all hoping to replace, his reaction, just one word from president trump, boring. >> hallie is with us now joe biden expected to have a big target on his head >> yeah. >> any sense of strategy, how he plans to deal with it. >> his tea rs ady to defend his past record which he knows will come under attack and pivot to his future and also candidates calling for generational change which will be a big thing tonight >> we've heard from the first round of candidates but what about those vying to win over, the voters of course

jacob spoke with some of them in miami about the top issues in the election and the biggest take aways from the debate so far. >> less than two miles from the debate stage, it's lunchtime at sugar kane voters getting some food for thought from last night's candidates >> anybody stick out to you? >> cory booker >> cory booker why? >> he's an impressive kind of guy. >> did you like a candidate? >> i like elizabeth. >> several issues stood out to voters >> if you're a veteran, then you ought to be taken care of when you're discharged. you give your 20 years, your 30 years, your life thne should require federal help

>> another concern, affordable health care. >> as a doctor you feel like it's not working >> i see a lot of people suffering, a lot of people not getting access to the health care in the current system and the affordability is just unacceptable >> for this new mom, the parkland school shooting is also on her mind. >> with a young baby, you start to think about these things, safety in schools and gun control. >> these voters not just looking for ideas but how the 2020 hopefuls plan to accomplish them >> what are the biggest issues you face in day to day >> education and my undocumented students, i'm a counselor, that's a big issue to me with the immigrants. >> so you've got undocumented students >> yes, who won't go to college and they can go because they're afraid something will happen >> all kinds of concerns from voters tonight, especially here in florida ground zero for so many national issues like immigration, climate change, student debt, and gun control. the challenge of course will be for the candidates again inside there to convince voters out here that they understand what life is really like and what matters to them. lester

>> all right jacob, thank you there is breaking news tonight in the battle in congress over billions in emergency border aid while a new lawsuit seeks to hold the trump administration in contempt for the filthy conditions inside migrant child detention centers. gabe gutierrez is at the border tonight. >> the yeas are 305 -- >> reporter: late today the house approved $4.6 billion in emergency aid for the southern border, a bill the senate had already passed without certain protections for migrant children in custody democrats had asked for. now it's on its way to the president's desk immigrant advocates are suing the trump administration asking a judge for immediate inspections of facilities claiming migrant children are held for weeks without access to soap, clean water, adequate nutrition, or adequate sleep and the young children are charged with responsibility for toddlers a customs and border protection spokesman says the agency does

not comment on litigation. to had cameras allowed inside, agents told us they strongly dispute those allegations. despite the overcrowding and reports of unsanitary conditions, many migrants are still desperate to cross the border more and more are packing shelters like this one in mexico, some waiting months to apply for asylum tonya crossed into the u.s. once before but was sent back to mexico to wait she is considering swimming across the rio grande. >> i'm afraid to do it illegally, but we don't have another choice >> she knows it's risky to take her children, but a risk she feels is necessary thof in limbo along a border

in crisis. >> while the house debated a border funding bill today, the trump administration once again overhauled the leadership team here at the border naming mark morgan the current acting head of i.c.e. as the new acting chief of customs and border protection >> gabe gutierrez, thank you two big rulings from the supreme court on the final day of the court. one was a blow to the trump administration one was to put a census question on hold and one about gerrymandering >> as immigrant groups waited anxiously outside, the supreme court dealt a big upset to the trump administration plan to ask

everyone if they're a u.s. citizen on the census form >> can you imagine you send out a census and you're not allowed okay the say whether or not a person is a u.s. citizen >> wilbur ross added the question after the voting rights act. that was criticized as a tall tale and the supreme court didn't buy it. it was more of a distraction calling it contrived the ruling blocked the government from adding the citizen question. government >> every single person in this country deserves to be counted, plain and simple today, thanks to the supreme court's decision we will have opportunity to do that >> the state said the question would suppress responses from immigrants leading to an undercount >> it's mostly the panic that has been instilled over generations or over decades of being told that you could easily be deported. >> census determines how many members each states gets in the house of representatives and how

much states get in federal grants today's ruling gives the government another chance to come up with an explanation for why it needs the citizenship question, and that will start another court battle the census bureau needs to start preparing the forms in a few days, but tonight president trump asked government lawyers to delay the census until the supreme court is given more information. >> pete joins us now there's also the other major ruling today in how voting districts are carved out to favor a party, what's known as partisan gerrymandering. >> in two cases it's not for federal governments to weigh in when the states draw the maps and strongly favor the party in power. this was a 5 to 4 ruling with the conservatives in the majority saying courts have no authority to reallocate political power between the major parties.

if this decision had gone the other way, it could have led to changes in who controls congress and state legislatures justice alaina kagan said today the court failed in protecting free and fair elections. president trump is in japan tonight for the g20 summit where he is set for a high stakes meeting with china's president on the raging trade war and will come face to face with vladimir putin. kristen welker is traveling with the president. >> reporter: president trump touching down in a rain-soaked osaka japan, stoking tensions with rivals and alies alike, accusing japan for living up to a joint agreement. >> they can watch it on a sony el the vision. >> and then there's the trade show down with china, the president threatening to increase tariffs on $300 billion on chinese goods if there isn't progress on a trade deal when he meets with the chinese president this weekend the u.s. has demanded china stop stealing u.s. intellectual property and purchase more from u.s. farmer.

>> we've been ripped off by everybody over the years, not anymore. >> nbc news has confirmed china will demand the u.s. remove all punitive tariffs and lift its ban on the chinese telecom firm huawei which the u.s. has accused of spying. >> let me say there are no preconditions to these talks >> also looming large, the growing stand off with iran after it shot down an unmanned u.s. drone president trump will try to convince key allies to beef up sanctions to force iran to negotiate over its nuclear program. >> all eyes will also be on the meeting with vladimir putin, the first since the release of the mueller report tgosk says moments after she was sexually assaulted by donald >> reporter: e. jean carroll trump in a new york city department store in the mid '90s, she called her friend, fellow writer.

>> i remember her saying repeatedly, he pulled down my tights >> burn bach, carol, and their friend were interviewed by megan tui from the "new york times." burn back recalling the conversation which ended in an argument about what to do next i said let's go to the police. no come to my house no, i want to go home. i'll take you to the police. >> carroll did not go to the police days later she spoke with martin >> i said don't tell anybody i wouldn't tell anybody this >> carroll says her friend was concerned about her going public because donald trump was such a powerful man last weekend the president denied the incident happened or even knowing carroll >> i have no idea who this woman is this is a woman who's also accused other men of things as you know

it is a totally false accusation >> he threw me up against the wall and tried to kiss me. >> carroll who is publishing her story in a new memoir chooses not to use the word "rape" when describing the alleged sexual assault. >> it was a very short incident. only lasting a few minutes he definitely penetrated and i definitely fought. >> carroll's friend now confirming she told them that same story soon after it happened stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york >> we have learned the names of the two american soldiers killed in combat this week in afghanistan. the pentagon identified them at 32-year-old army master sergeant michael riley and 24-year-old sergeant james johnston who earned a bronze star and purple heart. both were killed in a fire fight that the taliban claimed responsibility for >> a plane skidding off the runway and erupting into a ball of flames, caught on camera by a passenger inside's blaine alexa.

>> reporter: tonight a passenger's terrifying view of a plane's final moments. russian officials say engine failure forced an aircraft to make an emergency landing this morning at this airport. the video shows the plane veering off the runway, crashing into a utility building, and then bursting into flames. all 43 passengers survived but two crew members were killed, including a pilot, a 34-year-old veteran. the airline itself, a soviet airplane in operation since 1977 this witness says he saw the plane landing too fast, then a huge fire ball the investigation now underway to find out what brought this flight to a fiery and deadly end. blaine alexander, nbc news just ahead the search for a missing college student, police have a person of interest in the case new safety measures after a 2-year-old girl was struck by a foul ball.

next for us tonight the major development in the search for a utah college student missing for ten days police have a person of interest here's miguel almaguer >> reporter: overnight the search for a missing college student took what neighbors feared was a grim turn in a salt lake city backyard, officers with shovels following new leads, scouring a property that may be connected to the disappearance of mackenzie lueck. >> this is a digital forensic investigation. this is covering computers, cell phones >> spending all night at the home, authorities now say they're looking for this mattress which was just given awayy ca from the pop property. missing ten days now, mackenzie was last seen landing at the airport.

after texting her mother she landed safely she took a lyft to a park where a car was waiting for her just before 3:00 a.m >> i can only imagine what the family's doing right now we will do everything we can to find mackenzie >> tonight still no sign of the missing student, as police identify a person of interest and look to unearth new clears up next tonight, the safety changes coming to several major league ball parks.

back now with a mounting pressure on major league parks to enact new safety measures after a little girl was hit by a foul ball. stopping moment that struck a new push for protective netting, a 2-year-old girl struck in the head by a foul ball. >> it's just frightening

>> reporter: now for the first time lawyers for the little girl's family revealing the injuries, saying her skull was fractured and she had a seizure. >> like any parent, they're worried about what deficits may show up in the future they don't know about now >> reporter: over the weekend, a teen at dodger stadium was also struck >> everything went dark and came out and dark and light >> reporter: and last year a foul ball killed 79-year-old linda goldbloom. at the time time the mlb nertheis gainingteam extend steam. >> these girls are at a game and they're precious i can look through a net it's no big deal >> i don't want to get hit by a ball >> reporter: tonight the pirates afouns hadding to take safety netting and extend all the way to the foul polls with more teams following suit welcome back

we'll be back with more on today's debate in just a moment.

welcome back as we get ready for tonight's round two of the democratic debate, there will be a lot of topics to be asked and answered. but the overriding question in the minds of many democratic voters is this, one of the candidates have what it takes to defeat donald trump? tonight, they'll continue to try and make that case, and we'll be here to bring it all to you. savannah guthrie, jose diaz, chuck todd, and rachel maddow will be joini'm lester holt. from all of us, thanks for watching and so long for now

from miami

. good evening, i'm lester holt and welcome to night two of the first democratic debate in the 2020 race for presidency. >> good evening, i'm savannah guthrie. last night we heard from ten candidates. now ten more take the stage. >> they will be joined in the questioning by our colleagues. >> the candidates are in position, so let's get started. tonight, round 2. colorado senator michael bennet, former vice president joe biden. south bend, indiana mayor pete buttigieg. new york senator, kiersten jill brand. california senator calculators calculators.